The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 46

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 46

 

 

Sizzle—.

 

All the meat on the grill is Two Plus Korean Beef.

Oil was dripping onto the red-hot charcoal with a sizzling sound.

 

How long has it been since I ate meat like this.

Even before I died, it wasn’t easy.

Not because I didn’t have money, but because I didn’t have time.

 

“Order whatever you want to eat.”

 

This was before dividing the fee that Sage, who knew nothing about the world, had transferred without hesitation.

Those were the words I was about to say, but someone else beat me to it.

 

Lim Do-hyuk.

Surprisingly, the person who had first shown himself since Jung Seung-jun’s trial was right in front of me.

 

…Holding a Black Card, the symbol of wealth.

 

“Then I won’t refuse.”

 

Amid the awkward silence, the first to speak was surprisingly Deputy Yoon Ha-young.

 

“Boss, add some Salchi and Shrimp Meat here too! Oh, and give us two bottles each of Soju, Beer, and Cola for now!”

 

That’s right.

Lim Do-hyuk was currently grilling beef with me, Noh Hae-min, and Deputy Yoon Ha-young, who were employees of Law Firm Ilchul’s Office.

 

“….”

 

I can’t believe this bastard actually came here.

 

I kept my words to myself while watching the meat cooking to a nice golden brown.

Lim Do-hyuk hadn’t made any particular contact since the previous trial.

 

To say it was because I didn’t call him back when he called me…

He didn’t seem like the type to care about such things.

 

“Your reputations are amazing.”

 

A voice mixed with laughter rang out as if trying to break the suspicion.

Right now, Lim Do-hyuk seemed like he was hosting a company dinner for the employees in place of Kim Ho-shin.

 

“The news is all about Ilchul.”

 

His languidly lowered eyelashes cast long shadows as they caught the light from the grill.

I was doing my best to eat.

 

It’s beef, after all.

While it’s an eternal truth that you should be wary of people who buy you beef for no reason.

Even if you’re being cautious, you still need to put the delicious and expensive stuff in your stomach first.

 

“It’s more about Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun than Ilchul.”

 

Noh Hae-min was a little different from usual.

Where did the guy who usually laughed heartily and acted friendly with people with his gentle face go?

Today’s Noh Hae-min was acting like a kitten with its claws fully extended.

 

“Oh, Boss! Please add some Galbi Meat here too.”

 

In contrast, Deputy Yoon Ha-young seemed to have no thoughts at all.

 

Instead, she was eating as if she had a mission to store all the beef in the restaurant in her stomach.

Since she exercises, does she have a higher basal metabolic rate than ordinary people?

 

Anyway, this strange atmosphere had been going on for over thirty minutes now.

Lim Do-hyuk smiled mysteriously and gave Deputy Yoon Ha-young a thumbs up.

 

“It’s nice to see you eating so much.”

 

In this indecipherable atmosphere, only Deputy Yoon Ha-young looked more relaxed than usual.

It seemed that meat made people feel at ease.

 

“Senior Lim Do-hyuk.”

 

I called Lim Do-hyuk, but it’s Noh Hae-min who flinches.

I handed Noh Hae-min a new tissue after he dropped the Galbi Meat he was picking up with his chopsticks onto the Table.

 

“Yeah, Tae-hyun.”

 

Did he really eat something wrong?

 

Lim Do-hyuk even selected a few well-grilled pieces of meat and pushed them toward me.

Moreover, as if reading my thoughts, he even gave an answer without a question.

 

“It’s a private occasion. ‘Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun’ is too stiff. Between us.”

 

He obviously emphasized that ‘between us.’

Noh Hae-min’s shoulders trembled again.

When I found and offered him a new Wet Tissue, Noh Hae-min just shook his head and let out a long sigh.

 

“What’s your business?”

“Let’s eat first.”

“Just tell me now. It looks like we’re almost done eating.”

 

Deputy Yoon Ha-young, who had the most satisfying meal among us, was now drinking Naengmyeon for dessert.

She wrapped the Galbi Meat that Lim Do-hyuk had given her around the well-loosened noodles, put it in her mouth in one bite, and smiled brightly.

It was the happiest smile I had seen in recent times.

 

Just then.

 

“Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun cannot go.”

 

Finally, the soybean paste stew that had been boiling overflowed slightly.

 

I turned my gaze toward Noh Hae-min, who had suddenly exploded.

He was staring straight at Lim Do-hyuk with a face paler than usual.

 

Staring, you say.

Considering Noh Hae-min in normal circumstances, this was close to something that couldn’t happen.

I looked at Noh Hae-min, doubting my own eyes.

 

“What can’t-“

“I can’t let Lawyer Sung go!”

 

Because Noh Hae-min shouted so dramatically, the private room echoed loudly.

This bastard, what kind of drama is he filming?

 

“Haha, how did you know I came to take Lawyer Sung?”

 

Even Lim Do-hyuk was playing along with that rhythm.

It was nothing short of a disaster.

Only Associate Yoon Ha-young was mixing soju and beer in a 2:1 ratio and downing it in one gulp as if cleansing her palate.

 

“…Y-you are…”

 

Again, Noh Hae-min’s trembling gaze turned toward Lim Do-hyuk.

As if he really wouldn’t let me go, he kept one hand firmly stretched out in front of me.

 

“N-no matter how… Haeil…”

 

Lim Do-hyuk tilted his head sideways as if telling him to continue speaking and looked at Noh Hae-min.

I briefly pondered how to end this trashy morning drama, then put the remaining galbi meat in my mouth and chewed.

The galbi meat that melted softly in my mouth and flowed down to my throat before disappearing was truly delicious.

 

“Haeil… even if you carry the name of Representative Lim Sang-jin…”

 

What did he say?

I could no longer taste anything from the beef I had been eating deliciously just moments before.

Because I had swallowed it all.

 

“Lim Sang-jin?”

 

That old man I know?

 

That can’t be.

He was someone I had only glimpsed in passing during my rookie days, even before I died.

 

Haeil’s legendary lawyer.

They said Park Ji-hwan, the current representative lawyer, was his junior.

To think I’d hear the name of someone who had left the field long ago in this place.

 

“Oh, that’s our father. Lawyer Lim Sang-jin.”

 

Lim Do-hyuk continued speaking without batting an eye.

 

The age doesn’t match up.

Did he have a late-born child or something?

 

As if my thoughts had shown, Lim Do-hyuk spoke in a low voice.

 

“I’m the youngest of three in the family.”

“I’m not curious, senior.”

“Your face looked curious though.”

 

Whether youngest or whatever, he was Lim Sang-jin’s bloodline.

 

His name was still occasionally quoted in the field.

That’s how legendary he was in this business.

 

His win rate went without saying, and he was famous for even creating non-existent evidence to readjust cases.

Our Court Chief had quite a headache because of that, they said.

 

“…Still, Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun cannot go.”

 

As if he had finished organizing his thoughts alone, Noh Hae-min spoke with a considerably firmer voice.

Lim Do-hyuk still had an amused expression.

 

“Isn’t that up to Lawyer Sung?”

“I don’t know what happened at Haeil, but since Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun threw away that name and left…”

 

Noh Hae-min turned his head sharply and whispered with a desperate face.

 

‘Right?’

 

I didn’t know he liked me that much.

 

“Well…”

 

I drew out my words while looking at Lim Do-hyuk.

The reason I didn’t answer Noh Hae-min was because I quite liked the behavior of this guy who knew how to show some thorns.

 

“Why did you really come, senior?”

 

Only then did Lim Do-hyuk continue speaking with a gentle expression.

It was a completely different appearance from before. As if he had been sharpening a hidden knife all this time.

 

“I’m curious about your condition.”

 

Though with that kind of response, it didn’t seem worth asking any more questions.

 

“Sung Tae-hyun, what happened with your memory?”

 

Lim Do-hyuk’s persistent gaze followed me.

 

“…Did it come back?”

 

* * *

 

In conclusion, this bizarre company dinner came to an end with Noh Hae-min getting completely drunk and making a scene.

 

“Attorney Sung Tae-hyun can’t leave… no… Ilchul’s… only… our… office’s… light… salt…”

 

It was Associate Yoon Ha-young who carried Noh Hae-min on her back as he whimpered like a child.

 

“I’ll take care of Attorney Noh Hae-min, so you two can go ahead.”

 

Her strangely satisfied expression looked like a well-fed lion from an animal documentary.

I nodded and sent them off.

 

The beef we had today was pretty good.

It was even better since it was someone else’s money.

 

Having learned that Lim Do-hyuk was Lim Sang-jin’s son, I shrewdly milked him for everything, even adding one last cola.

 

“Well then, we’ll be going.”

 

Associate Yoon Ha-young lifted the drunk and staggering Noh Hae-min in one go and carried him on her back.

 

“Wow, was it Associate Yoon Ha-young? I really like her.”

 

Lim Do-hyuk, who stood beside me with a clear face, was watching them walk away.

To think the great heir of Haeil would covet even an employee of such a small law firm.

When I clicked my tongue and turned my head, Lim Do-hyuk laughed and grabbed my arm.

 

“Let’s go, Sung Tae-hyun.”

“I want to go home and sleep.”

“Yeah. That’s why let’s go. Home.”

“…Do you even know my home address, Senior?”

 

I don’t remember giving him my address since coming up from Sejong.

 

But Lim Do-hyuk chuckled as if asking what I was talking about.

Knowing he was Lim Sang-jin’s child made that smile look even more irritating.

His ability to freely come and go between Seoul and Sejong was probably also possible because he was Lim Sang-jin’s son.

 

Now the puzzle pieces are finally fitting together.

 

“No, I don’t know.”

 

This bastard?

 

“But I know my house.”

“I’m not curious.”

“You’ll become curious from now on. You’ll quite like it.”

 

That persistent gaze met mine once more, as if targeting prey.

He definitely ate something wrong.

 

“The unit across from Law Firm Ilchul.”

“…?”

“It was empty, so I bought it.”

“…!”

 

Lim Do-hyuk’s level of craziness had increased.

I finally realized that I had been thinking of him too lightly all this time.

 

* * *

 

The building where Ilchul was located was old.

Not just old, but very old.

They said it was about forty years old, but from the outside it looked like a hundred-year-old relic.

 

That would have been the limit with Ho-shin Senior’s funds.

He had been following Park Ji-hwan around instead of working.

 

But.

 

“Wow… it’s really true, people can actually live here.”

 

The next morning, Noh Hae-min let out a cheerful exclamation as if he had completely forgotten yesterday’s events.

 

It really was across the street.

This run-down building that looked like it could be haunted, right across from our office.

 

I had guessed that another office would move into the space that had been empty for a while when I saw interior contractors going in and out.

 

“Yeah. Coffee? Tea?”

“No thanks. We have some in our office too.”

 

Despite the refusal, Lim Do-hyuk brought four cups of americano.

The office that had been completely empty inside the front door now looked like a studio apartment in the form of a slightly large one-room.

It was even clean and looked luxurious.

 

I guess that’s what happens when you’re the chaebol heir of a major law firm that will lead the legal world.

 

The proletarian soul within me, which I hadn’t even known existed during my days as a judge, began to stir.

I sat crookedly and gulped down my Americano.

The scent of capital swirled around my nostrils.

 

“It’s not even residential, but you insist on sleeping here.”

“Half of it is a personal office.”

 

Was he planning to leave Haeil?

Lim Do-hyuk smiled gently.

 

“Though it seems like you’ll probably just use it for sleeping.”

 

Or maybe not.

 

“Why specifically across the street from Ilchul?”

 

It probably meant Haeil was keeping watch.

Especially after sending Kim Wan-gil to ruin, my name had been mentioned on all terrestrial broadcasting news.

 

“No matter how rotten Haeil is, it’s not urgent enough to keep Ilchul in check.”

 

Noh Hae-min, who had been quietly drinking his Americano, clenched his fist tightly.

The way he reacted to every single provocation like this made him fun to tease.

 

I patted Noh Hae-min’s shoulder and turned to ask Lim Do-hyuk again.

 

“Senior, it smells.”

“…?”

“It smells rotten.”

 

A slight crack appeared in Lim Do-hyuk’s smiling face.

This bastard only reacts when you hit him one-dimensionally.

 

“…Sung Tae-hyun….”

“You said senior was rotten.”

“Ha.”

 

I put down my finished Americano and stood up.

Then I gently pushed Noh Hae-min’s back, guiding him toward the front door.

The words I muttered quietly to Lim Do-hyuk who followed were close to a warning.

 

“If you’re planning to contact Associate Yoon Ha-young and Attorney Noh Hae-min through Haeil, give up.”

 

Lim Do-hyuk’s face crumpled completely.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————